Sunday, October 17, 2010

Club 33, Disneyland (Anaheim, CA) [5]

An object in possession seldom retains the same charm that it had in pursuit.
- Pliny the Younger (the Roman magistrate, not the beer)

Another year, another meal at Club 33, the "secret" restaurant within Disneyland park. I'd known about the place ever since the mid 1990's, and remember being incredibly excited when I finally had the chance to dine here back in 2006. But inevitably, after five visits, the charm has largely been lost on me, my built-up anticipation and wide-eyed enthusiam replaced by humdrum and tedium, by the ills of Club 33's pedestrian, insipid food.

Club 33 is horseshoe-shaped, and consists of two main rooms, the Main Dining Room (above), and the smaller, more informal Trophy Room (below). We were seated in the latter room, at the circular table on the right.

The menu, from Executive Chef Marcel St. Pierre, is expectedly sedate. Click for a larger version.

Each diner chooses a main course from the menu above, but arguably, the best part about brunch at Club 33 is the buffet. The spread is located in the so-called Lounge Alley, which also contains the bar and serves to link the two dining rooms.

The buffet spread has remained largely static across my several visits to Club 33. One can expect to find several salads, cold cuts, cheese, fruit, veggies, smoked salmon, and of course, everybody's favorite--a trio of chilled seafood: cocktail shrimp, crab claws, and lobster tails (i.e. the pricey stuff).

I showed some restraint here.

Pacific King Salmon, Bloomsdale Spinach, Carrot Mango Jus | Wild Chinook Grilled Salmon, with Sauteed Spinach and Stewed French Lentil
For my main, I chose the salmon--a mistake to be sure. The fish was obviously overcooked, resulting in a dry, mealy consistency that made it hard to swallow (literally). It was also lacking in the flavor department, and the carrot-mango broth didn't help either, drowning the salmon in an overwhelmingly saccharine sauce that somehow made things even worse. The spinach, with its slight astringency, was a saving grace, as were the lentils, which imparted a much needed tinge of earthiness to the dish.

Certified Organic Free Range Chicken, Truffled Mac & Cheese, Apricot Glaze | Shelton Farms Airline Chicken Breast, Marinated with Citrus and Basil
Chicken, thankfully, was an improvement over the salmon. The bird, again, was lacking in succulence and depth, but fortunately not to the degree of the fish. The flavor was there and the mac & cheese was certainly serviceable, but again, the apricot glaze took things in an overly sugary direction.

Pan Seared Chateaubriand, Yukon Gold Potato Puree, Cabernet Demi-Glace | 8 oz. center cut of the Filet Mignon, Baby Tomato Shallot Salad & Blue Lake Beans
Clearly then, the tenderloin was the tastiest item of the meal. Done medium-rare (though we were not asked for a preferred temperature), the beef demonstrated a pleasing texture and a textbook bovine savor that was certainly enjoyable, though not astonishing. Meanwhile, the pairing of mashed potatoes was predictable, but fairly effective, as were the various vegetables. However, the kitchen was amazingly inconsistent with the steak, cooking some of our cuts to an almost inedibly well-done consistency.

Time for dessert, understandably the highlight of the meal for many.

Without a doubt, the food here leans toward the tired, the banal, the undeniably institutional. Certainly then, the menu needs a serious revamp if Club 33 is to be considered a serious dining destination. But then again, I suppose that if you're concerned about the cuisine, you're sort of missing the point. Unfortunately, Club 33's not about the eats, but rather about the exclusivity, the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the chance to say you've been, to be "in the know." Take away the glitz and glamour then, and you're left with a schmancier version of Blue Bayou. I'm angry at myself for coming here again and again, yet I continue to do so year after year (because I can). Fool me once shame on you, fool me five times, shame on me I guess.

I had dinner at Club 33 last June with a set menu, as we had a large party. We had the Chateaubriand as our entree; the dish 8 months ago was exactly as it appears in Kevin's post. Also similar was that it was cooked without asking diners how they wanted it as well as the inconsistency of cooked steaks around the table.

I agree with Kevin's conclusion that the restaurant is more about exclusivity than the food. Since the restaurant can draw diners regardless of what is on the menu, it would be nice to see a few more risks taken with the menu in an attempt to elevate the level of the food.

I think you just killed a bunch of your dreams with this post! Haha. It was a nice experience, though I agree the food was not up to par. I was pretty surprised at how badly the salmon was cooked. My mom cooks salmon by wrapping it up in foil and baking it. So simple, yet it always turns out tender and juicy. Maybe they should hire my mom, haha. Ah, 'twas a fun day though!

I think you need to put down this puppy already. I think it is great if you have gone there for the very first time. After visit #3, I sort of don't think you would have recaptured the magic of the first time (if you were the diner).

If you don't like the food (and your photos make the joint look definitively uninviting) why bother to go back? You have a hundred plus places in California which you already like and there will be a hundred you have yet to find. It should be all about the food - not the identity of the non-entity who knocks your food onto your lap.

Come to France and I'll show you tiny country restaurants you will want to go back to and starred places you will flee from.djb